X-ray imaging has become an important part of our lives since its invention in the 19th century. The imaging techniques that are used in medical imaging and security inspection systems are usually projection systems that record the shadow radiograph behind the subject. In the 1980s, microscopy techniques based on x-ray lenses have emerged to dramatically improve the resolution of x-ray imaging to tens of nanometers.
The majority of these x-ray imaging systems use traditional table top electron-bombardment x-ray sources, but sources with much higher brightness and different spectral characteristics have also been used to expand the capabilities of x-ray imaging techniques. In particular, synchrotron radiation sources provide highly collimated beams with 6 to 9 orders of magnitude higher brightness and tunable narrow bandwidth. In additional to dramatically improving the microscopy throughput, the synchrotron sources also enable spectral microscopy techniques that are able to selectively image specific elements in a sample. These developments have resulted in powerful microscopy techniques with unique capabilities that are not found with other technologies.
On drawback of synchrotron radiation facilities is the relatively long down-time compared with tabletop x-ray sources. While a tabletop source can typically run continuously between annual or semi-annual maintenance intervals, synchrotrons typically require more frequent maintenance intervals with long shutdown times. These maintenance requirements lead to excessive down-time of x-ray imaging instruments.